GIGSTUFF 51

The bad news is we didn’t get the draw were hoping for last week and we are no longer on target for 24 drawn games in this year’s home-and-away rounds. The good news is that we are still on a “2 out of 3” schedule, meaning we will still get a record 16 draws, and that the first two weeks of the finals will each have games where extra time is required and the Grand Final will be a draw again.

You’re not doubting that logic are you? Surely extrapolation never lies…

TONIGHT’S MARGIN

Not sure what margin to put in for tonight’s Richmond v Collingwood match? Well if history is any guide, you’d be wise not to choose 31 or 43. They are the only two margins under 56 that have never been registered in games between these two teams.

If you’re after a high-ish margin, 54 might be the way to go. Three Tigers-Magpies matches have ended with that margin. But your best bet might be 36, which has come up nine times in 197 games. Next best is 20 which has occurred eight times.

MARGINAL MEDAL

And while we’re on the margins, let’s check in on the race for 2011’s MPFSD. Which, as you would all know, is the Most Popular Final Score Differential. And the news after Round 3 is that we have a three-way tie! Two results in Round 1 gave 20 the early lead, but a second draw in two weeks in Round 2 meant 0 drew (pardon the pun) level after Round 2. And then last Sunday Melbourne pipped Brisbane by 11 points after Geelong had done the same to Freo a week before.

So it’s 0, 11 and 20 out in front. Wow! This is so exciting!

ARCHBISHOP DESMOND

You might remember that last year was the year of the “2.2 Hoodoo”, so named because on 16 of 19 occasions in 2010, teams that had a quarter-time score of 2.2(14) went on to lose the match, even if they were leading at the first break.

The only teams that were able to overcome that hoodoo were St Kilda, who did it twice, and Collingwood. And as everyone knows, those two sides made the Grand Final.

Such is the apprehension teams have about this score, not one of them has been game enough to register it as a quarter-time score thus far in 2011. If and when it does happen, if that side goes on to win, then get on them for a Grand Final berth.

GIGPOLL QUESTION OF THE WEEK

On current form, which of the following sides would St Kilda defeat?

(a) West Coast

(b) Gold Coast

(c) Ivory Coast

(d) None of the above

(e) Ivory Coast, but only if Nick Riewoldt kicks straight

SCORE WARS

But let’s not bag the Saints too much. After all their final score last week of 12.12 enable 84 to maintain a lead of one over 122 in Score Wars. 84 has bobbed up four times this year, while 122 has come up on a hat-trick of occasions.

And congratulations to the Gold Coast on scoring 7.9 (51) against the Dogs last Saturday. 51 hadn’t been seen 2009 prior to last weekend.

1 v 100

It hasn’t been on TV for years, but it’s still Eddie’s favourite game. And so far this year, scores are level. Geelong and St Kilda gave us a 1-point game in Round 1 and Carlton gave us a 100+ point margin a week later.

BAD TASTE POSTCODE OF THE WEEK

Last week’s Melbourne-Brisbane was widely tipped to be a massacre. It wasn’t. The Lions performed admirably in going down 71-82. Which is somewhat ironic given that 7182 is the postcode of Port Arthur.

RIDICULOUS FOOTY ANAGRAM OF THE WEEK

Gold Coast’s Brandon Matera has by no means been their worst player in the Suns’ first two AFL encounters. But let’s face it, the signs for his team are just out-and-out awful. So it’s probably appropriate that his name is an anagram of ARRANT BAD OMEN

3 out of 4 Draws Gigs. The planets are aligning to some degree in regards to the Meatloaf scale. I flippantly tipped a draw between Essendon and Carlton, but didn’t have the kahunas to put money on it. More fool me I guess (:

as you would have no doubt gleaned by now I am an objective, open minded, considerate, sensitive, new age football supporter.

It’s not my fault if the ‘wet maggots’ missed obvious unlawful attacks on Cats players at crucial times early in the game to creat scoring opportunities for the ugly ducklings. Free kicks were 8 3 in their favour at one stage.

#14. AF, while the old saying that “one quarter time score of 2.2 doth not a hoodoo make” is true, the fact remains that we have now had 17 occurrences of this phenomenon in 20 games, and that teams that manage to overcome it and win have played in the GF. In several instances, the side that’s been 2.2 at quarter time has actually been winning.

Looking at an isolated event in a sequence doesn’t tell us much, although I agree it can sometimes be a worthwhile effort. For example, looking at Collingwood’s sequence last year, I think (and I reckon Phantom would too) it’s worth revisting their Round 9 performance.

there is much talk about how Geelong can recover from the prelim flogging it got last year from Collywood. Ther is a precident of momouth proportions. Collywood copped the same sort of touch up from the Cats the year before and went on to win a flag next year after reversing the problem against the same team in the same match.

We fear not history, Collywood coaches and players. We do, however, fear Dr David Panton.

#10 Phantom. Totally correct. Umpiring was horrible. The holding the man free to Adam Goodes when a Geelong player had the temerity to tackle him and he simply put his arms in the air, whereby the ball fell to the grouind at his feet, was a classic example of one great big fat fact – the umpires have NO IDEA.

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